Thor cries out and leaps forward, lighting sparking from the skies and as soon as he smashes down on the ground, a shockwave larger than theirs occurs, the lighting striking down on Mjolnir and smiting each of the giants apart with a loud crash.

I run to Fandral who fights off three of them and toss my knife, using my duplicating spell to let it be thrown as three different blades that pierce them each and let my friend finish them off.

Volstagg saves me by plunging his ax into the belly of a blue monster to my right. My eyes flash around me as our group of warriors fights valiantly, with skill that no Frost Giant could hope to have. But we are indeed outnumbered. And I watch as more and more giants appear from the shadows ready to steal our lives.

Fandral backs up to my side.

"They keep coming," I say then duck to let him stab one on the other side of me through its chest with his sword that's like a needle. I stand back straight.

"What do we do?" he asks in a breath.

"We fight," is all I say before turning around as three huge monsters leap from the ledge and crash down before me in front of the stone wall. I cast my hands out before me and let the rock break apart behind them and crush them alive with a horizontal hand motion. I pull out my knives again when I turn around to spin dodge another blow from a Frost Giant. I slice open its side and Fandral stabs his stomach.

I see Sif block a blow from a larger one, it roaring with mighty teeth in her face as she stumbles back. I charge forward, fire in me burning bright when I see that my sister is in danger. I leap up to it and stab my blade into its shoulder. It roars again and flings me to my back. I grasp the ground and pull myself up as it nears me, pulling out a sword from its back with a nasty smile. I slide back, trying to return to my feet with a scared look.

That's when the black poison spreads from the wound I left, tainting its body in black and killing him rather quickly as I smirk. I leap up, plucking my blade from his arm and returning to fighting alongside Sif.

She spins her sword around again and again, fighting with the strength I have always seen in her. I do my best, using my spells and knives to do a good job of distracting them as she finishes them off.

I can see everyone here around us, fighting as best as they can... except Loki.

I almost panic as my eyes scan the battlefield. That's when I see him. He backs up to the edge of a cliff, cornered as two giants charge straight for him.

"Loki!" I call out and race forward to where he is, a bit far from me. Just as the giant flings itself at the man, thinking he'll take Loki over the edge, he flies straight through the image of him and crashes down the cliff. Of course. A clone; Loki's illusion.

He appears from behind a pillar and makes his clone disappear as I smile, relieved I hadn't just lost him. Of course he couldn't be taken down that easily. I should have known better.

"Gem!" I hear someone warn and I turn abruptly. Sif leaps in front of me just in time, holding up her shield in front of us both as I bend down to block the shards of ice the giants fire at us, shattering against the metal with a crashing sound. I stand when the monster does it again, using my magic force to stop them and sending them back towards the beasts. They are hit but are mostly immune to ice.

Thor jumps into the air and throws his mighty hammer to let it fly through the monsters to finish them and lands to end another with one powerful swing.

I fight beside her and then off on my own as more draw near. Too many. We become surrounded. And the ice is starting to take its toll on me. It weakens me, tires me. I find myself breathing heavily and feeling like my bones are as stiff as the ice itself. I thrust my sword into the leg of one after a swift dodge but another kicks me hard, flinging me to the stones as I let out a cry of pain. My back is against the rock as I cringe, breathing hard and looking up at the surrounding Frost Giants. There has to be at least fifteen that ready themselves to end my life. Nothing I have, no magic, no weapon, could take them all. And my companions are all caught in their own battles. This is where it ends for me.

No. Not today.

I catch the wide eyed, overly worried look of Loki some ways in front of me as he looks terrified for me.

I stand to my feet, my fists forming into bright orange flames, my eyes glowing with the fire within me. I slam my hands to the ground, the flames catching up on the stone under them and burning them from the bottom up. I leap up then, slashing them left and right with blades of fire. They die one after another, letting my knife slaughter them all around me, twirling my wrist this way and that to destroy them.

I look ahead again to see that Loki's expression has turned in to a surprised one but a glad one, his mouth wanting to form a half smile.

I have found my element.

And it's fire.

https://youtu.be/JQ0lE7e3yfk

One more approaches me straight ahead, a huge one, with a smirk on his face that suggests he can end me, this tiny little girl no problem. Big mistake.

I drop my knives and form my hands in front of me, blasting hell flames from thin air and smiting the beast, the heat so intense that it burns him on the spot, screaming in pain before I push forth my force power, knocking him over and dead.

My hands are still lit with flames as I run forward with my daggers, leaping to Loki and finishing off an enemy with a stab through the back, the flames engulfing him in a bright orange death.

I stand there before him, breathing as the light in my irises remains. "Impressed yet?" I ask in a teasing way.

"Not hardly," he replies but then laughs.

"Behind you," I grin.

He spins out of the way just in time for me to send a mighty flaming fireball ahead that takes four of them.

Loki throws blades to where some approach me from behind, piercing them all perfectly and I whirl around to miss the blow of another down towards my head. I shove my knife into his belly to let him cry out and Loki shoves him back against the stone with magic.

I turn to face another wave.

Loki and I exchange a look and I nod.

As they approach they are engulfed in shadow, like a black smoke. Making them unable to see us as we charge forward, racing between them with swift blades, slicing left and right, shooting between the blind soldiers with lightning speed, slinging our weapons and lopping off limbs with no trouble, my wounds leaving burning fumes like an ember wherever I cut. I meet up with him suddenly, letting him take my hand and I fling my body over his shoulder, my foot kicking a giant hard in the head before I flip back to the ground. I smite one in front of him with fire as he flings his throwing star to the left quickly.

I toss my knife in the air after I cut across one's neck and Loki catches it, plunging it into the stomach of a giant behind. I put my foot on the handle when it's stuck in the beast and leap over the creature, grabbing his head with my fire hands and pulling him to the ground hard. I flip around to avoid another stab from a frozen sword and Loki shatters his weapon when he misses, tossing me my knife back to let me stab the monster in his neck before he can make another move.

I pull my weapon out and twirl it, spinning around to fight off another as more and more come, ignoring the discomfort and utter tire I feel within my bones as I continue to fight with my companions.

https://youtu.be/Zp5EKfdsDeQ

Aroar from a beast behind me catches my attention and I turn, my hair flyingaround me when I do. A Frost Giant has a hold of Loki's arm, his touchstripping away the light armor on his lower arm completely, exposing his bareskin to the grasp of this monster. I am worried for a burn but it doesn't seemto hurt him, his hand trembling from shock and his eyes wide... He looks down at his arm and hand that hasturned completely blue, matching the skin of the Frost Giants even with thelittle pattern on his wrist that they have. His eyes grow even wider and so domine in confusion.

The giant looks up at Loki with suspicion. But he doesn't wait any longer to kill the beast with a knife of his and shove him back to the ground. He lifts his arm, watching as the blue turns back to a flesh color like it is meant to be once the giant has let go...

He glance at me when he doesn't know I've been watching and I return his gaze, the same confusion and fright showing in us both.

Suddenly we hear someone cry out loudly in pain and our heads turn. My heart beats eight times a second as I see ice spikes, larger than I could imagine, stuck through Fandral, straight through his torso, his blood coating the ice in the other side.

My eyes widen in horror. "Fandral!" I call out

I charge forward after Loki and I exchange a look and he flings a throwing star into the enemy approaching to end Fandral's life.

"Thor!" Sif calls when she sees how mortally wounded he is.

I panic, my stomach dropping inside me and my heart pounding in terror.

My hands tremble as Loki and I grasp each arm of the man in hopes to pull him off the spike that shot up from the ground but I'm not strong enough. Volstagg comes to my aid and grips him on my side, helping to pull him off as Fandral cries out again, stinging my eyes with horrid tears.

I feel this worry and anguish showing in my expression as I look around for Thor.

"Thor!" Hogun calls out.

He is ahead of us, smashing Frost Giants to pieces still.

"We must go!" Loki says to him.

"Then go!" he commands.

Loki looks furious at his hotheaded brother but focuses on Fandral. Hogun takes Loki's place to carry the man and Volstagg helps him.

We stop when the ground seems to shake and I look around. Ice falls from a frozen beast about the size of a large house, with tusks that could kill eighteen Frost Giants with one swing, its enormous legs pulling from the ice that kept it asleep and letting the thing roar like a fierce demon form hell itself, the sound so loud I have to cover my ears. We all gaze upon the huge creature until Volstagg says, "Run!"

https://youtu.be/jIBEvsC2hiA

We dash in the opposite direction

Sif and I make sure we keep the other giants off of them and Loki does us a favor by smiting most of them around is with Confusion as we race to where we came, where the Bifrost would pick us up again.

"Thor!" Loki yells to get him to come but he won't.

I almost slip a couple times when running so fast over the slick ice. Sif takes my hand and runs with me for balance that I gladly accept.

As we run, the humongous beast charges straight for us with speed and strength that we certainly cannot outrun. My heart pounds inside me as I throw one foot in front of the other, trying not to slip as it catches up, the ground shaking. It smashes a structure to my left and sends pieces of rock flying down upon us. We miss them miraculously but Sif and I part.

I charge forward as fast as I can but it's not fast enough. The beast making an earth quake behind me stomps down, crushing the ground and causing me to fly forward and tumble against the rock. I grunt and turn over on my back just as someone yells, "Gem!"

I scramble to my feet but someone takes my hand and my arm with the other, helping me to run for the others. Loki moves his hand from my arm and wraps it around my back to help me with speed. He's much taller than I am and faster.

Just as the monster is about to end us the stone beneath it fails from it being too thin and it crashes down into the abyss.

Loki looks over his shoulder at it. "Come on!" he says and I try to faster.

We reach the platform but I stop, my hand landing on Loki's chest as I try to catch my breath, him holding me up before I fall over. My heart is racing and my mind is in panic mode. I turn my head as my eyes search for Thor. I should be able to see his red cape in this world of blue easily but I don't spot him.

"Heimdall!" Volstagg calls above us. "Open the bridge!"

It's suddenly quiet in the air. And we stand there not knowing what to do. But just as it is silent, an enormous hand of a monster, the one we thought fell, lands on the ledge one foot from Sif's feet. She stumbles back and her hand immediately goes in front of me to protect me, Loki still holding me up as I cling to him.

All of us back up in fear of this massive monster pulls its body above the cliff and stares us straight in the eyes, almost as if killing us would give it great pleasure.

I don't try to be brave. Enormous creatures have always been one of my biggest fears. Something so large it could crush me with the flick of a finger has always terrified me. I shut my eyes tightly in waiting for my death, and just because I don't want to look at it anymore, the blood inside me going ice cold in terror as my hands grip around Loki tightly and I burry my face in his arm in fear, trembling from the sight.

His hand goes to my shoulder and he takes a couple more steps back.

Just before we are about to hear the most bone chilling roar from this beast, something soars through the wind above us and quickly I open my eyes.

Before me I hear a loud crash and the monster is slouching back, slowly falling off the edge of the cliff with a hole blown through the back of its throat. Thor lands down before it with Mjolnir.

My heart is relieved in two different ways at the sight. My trembling hand still holds Loki's gladly as I recover from what almost just happened. Thor stands as the beast falls dead off the edge, breathing a bit and smiling at a triumphant victory in his eyes.

Everyone else still looks petrified.

Thor's smile disappears as Frost Giants slowly walk to us, more than a thousand of them ready to kill. We all turn around to see them. I almost stumble back in fear, knowing we can't take them all. If I am to die here I almost wish it would happen already...

But we hesitate, not knowing what to do and panicking.

Thor seems to finally realize the fate he has brought us. And the doom before us.

And just as the beasts charge I prepare for the end.

A sound greater than that of the monster's roar occurs in front of us as a smash against the stone from great force.

I open my eyes to see white light brighter than a star that zaps a circle in the frozen rock.

And when it disappears, King Odin himself is revealed from where the Bifrost has sent him, riding his mighty stallion as it neighs and throws its front hooves into the air.

The blue had knocked back a large number of Frost Giants but there are still plenty left.

Odin holds his staff high, the power in that weapon great enough to level all of Jotunheim.

"Father! We'll finish them together!" Thor says with a triumphant cry of confidence.

I glare at him with a look that says, 'are you insane?' and the others seem to copy that expression.

"Silence!" Odin hisses at him quietly.

Thor's smile disappears.

Laufey appears to him then, approaching the king. "Allfather," he says to him as if the very name is a disease. "You look weary..."

"Laufey," Odin says, "end this now."

"Your boy sought this out."

Sif sends a glare to Thor.

"You're right," the king says. "And these are the actions of a boy, treat them as such. You and I can end this here and now, before there's further bloodshed."

"We are beyond diplomacy now, Allfather..."

I still breathe hard, the worry in my blood and in my expression as I watch them.

"He'll get what he came for..." Laufey continues. "War... and death."

"So be it..." Odin says...

There is quiet in the air as we wait and that's when Laufey forms an ice dagger in his and attempts to stab Odin right in the chest.

But the Allfather rears up his horse and smites the king with a powerful blow of sheer light and force from his staff, sending Laufey back through the air and letting him hit the rock hard.

Just then, before the others can join in the fight, the Bifrost is opened and it zaps us back through space with a mighty pull.

We fly through time and through stars, the tunnel shooting us back home and away from the grasp of the Frost Giants and from the chill of Jotunheim.

As soon as we stumble back into the observatory in Asgard, Heimdall pulls his sword from its place and turns it off.

The room stops spinning and immediately I feel warmth around me again, in the atmosphere of my home realm.

My throat still burns from where Laufey had grabbed me, and my flesh, my bones, still feel like ice. My fingers and toes are completely numb along with my face. My muscles ache and my lungs feel like the size of berries. I have never been so close to death, so close to it I could taste it on my tongue... never have I experienced that and I don't know how it will sit with me now.

I catch my breath, my hands trembling still as I cling to Loki, desperate to erase that whole hour from my life like it was just a nightmare... like when I was little and used him for comfort after that bad dream...

"Why did you bring us back?" Thor demands from his father.

"Do you realize what you've done? What you've started—?" Odin asks angrily.

"I was protecting my home—"

"You cannot even protect your friends! How can you hope to protect a kingdom?! Get him into the healing room! Now!" the Allfather commands Sif, Hogun, and Volstagg that carry Fandral. I watch them take my friend away, worried sick for his wellbeing and not sure if he'll make it. "Don't let him die, All-Maker," I mutter in a quiet prayer.

Loki looks down at me with sympathy. "He'll be alright," he reassures.

I look back up at him, tears turning my eyes pink as I try not to shed any for multiple different reasons. He gives me a look in return that it's alright but he looks sorrowful himself, as well as angry for what is happening with Jotunheim.

I can't move because my legs are buckled so much so I can barely stand. So I don't follow the others. I probably would just make myself sick from worry even if I was with them. There wouldn't be anything I could do to help, little and useless as I am.

They walk out of sigh and Heimdall returns to the gate of the observatory, leaving Odin, Thor, Loki, and I here.

"There won't be a kingdom to protect if you're afraid to act," Thor continues arguing, blinded by anger from his mistake. "The Jotuns must learn to fear me, just as they once feared you."

"That's pride and vanity talking, not leadership," Odin says. "You've forgotten everything I taught you about warrior's patience."

I want to step up, and say something. Say that it was my fault. That if it wasn't for Laufey attacking me, Thor wouldn't have lost his cool. But before I can speak up, Loki stops me, his hand gripping mine to do so. I look at him and he returns with a disapproved look in his eye that says, 'it wasn't you fault. Don't take the blame for the mistakes Thor has to learn to pay for.'

I obey but fear this argument might get out of hand.

https://youtu.be/nOWHCnnjtpo

"While you sit and be patient the Nine Realms laugh at us!" Thor says. "The old ways are done. You'd stand giving speeches while Asgard falls—"

"You are a vain, greedy, cruel boy!" the Allfather shouts, finally done with Thor's protesting.

"And you are an old man and a fool!" his firstborn retaliates.

At this the room grows silent.

Heartbreak shows on my expression and on Loki's as we stand there, watching the hate and the truth be spoken between them.

Odin hesitates, looking hurt and defeated... he looks down.

Thor looks already like he regrets the words he spoke, his eyes glazed over in either anger or sadness.

"...Yes," Odin admits in a mutter. "I was a fool... to think you were ready..."

"Father—" Loki starts.

"Aye!" Odin shouts to stop him from finishing his sentence.

Loki closes his mouth and I stand there with him as he looks on the verge of tears. Seeing that makes my own begin to form. I grip tightly to his hand that I still hold, my other on his upper arm like a small child standing behind their father.

The Allfather takes a deep breath... "Thor Odinson," he says quietly, his calm making me even more nervous, "you have betrayed the express command of your king. Through your arrogance and stupidity, you've opened these peaceful realms and innocent lives to the horror and desolation of war!" he raises his voice and puts his staff in the holder for Heimdall's sword, letting the lighting zap the walls of the observatory.

"Loki?" I ask beneath my breath for what the king is about to do but I hear the answer.

The room begins to spin, the sight making me slightly lightheaded.

Odin walks to his son, tears in his eyes. "You are unworthy of these realms!" He pulls of the beautiful round pieces on Thor's breastplate, his son looking crushed in return. "You're unworthy of your title!" his father continues, ripping off Thor's beautiful royal cloak and letting it hit the floor. "You're unworthy... of the loved ones you have betrayed."

Thor looks as if he might weep, his spirit crushed and the guilt of what he has done settling in... but not quick enough.

Odin looks at his son one more time, the pain in the king's eyes making the lump in my throat enlarge and the burning behind my eyes to intensify.

Loki's hand steadies mine that is shaking.

The king takes a step back and turns to Thor with a pained look but a sure one. "I now take from you your power!" he says with a reaching hand to his son, pulling Mjolnir back into his grasp through the air. "In the name of my father," he zaps his son so that the gorgeous armor falls off in pieces on the floor, leaving just his shirt and trousers, "and his father before, I, Odin Allfather, cast you out!"

"No!" I cry out in horror, the tears finally escaping as I leap forward, charging to Thor as Loki tries to stop me but I'm too late. I watch as the king uses Mjolnir to shove Thor backwards and into the Bifrost, pulling him from Asgard and never to be seen again, with only one look to me before he is banished, the look shattering my heart to pieces.

I sink to my knees before the portal. "No..." I cry out and let my palms attempt to soak up my tears as I weep pathetically on the floor.

https://youtu.be/6-3i5D94sKg

Loki rushes to me before I, too am thrown into the Bifrost. He bends down and places a hand on my back. I throw myself into his embrace and use him as a human teddy bear to hug as I cry.

He says nothing, and Odin takes a breath...

Thor is gone. He's gone and I probably will never see him again. I shouldn't have ever taken advantage of him being here with me, always smiling, always playing games with me, making jokes, telling stories... and laughing. Always laughing. He has such a high spirit. Sure he has a bit of a temper. But I never brought that out in him. I loved him. I still do. And now two people I love I might never see again, if you don't count all four of my dead parents...

I never realized just how much Thor made my life worth while, how much he means to me, how much he happier he made me. He always put me in a good mood. No matter who I was angry with or what I was upset about, he would always make me feel better. How would I survive without him? For a little while now I have always pictured our lives being connected. His mother and father wanted us to be married. And with no say in that sort of matter, I accepted it. A marvelous adventure to be married to him, such a lively and fun spirit to always make the sun come up for me. That sounded alright in my eyes. But now what? He's gone. I can't say that I have no one, because Sif, Loki, and the rest of my dearest friends are still here... but I can still say that there will be a hole in my heart that can never be filled so long as he is absent.

I breathe after I can't shed any more tears and I look up at Odin, along with Loki who does the same.

The Allfather speaks into Mjolnir, a curse. Ney, an enchantment. He speaks, "Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy... shall possess the power of Thor." He then launches the weapon straight into the Bifrost and out of sight.

Once that is gone... the king finally closes the bridge... and the place returns silent... But he remains there...

Loki swallows and looks down at me. "Gem. Come," he whispers, his eyes showing sympathy as I probably look like a pathetic child right now.

I nod a little, the pain still in my expression. He helps me to my feet and walks with me from the Bifrost. Surprisingly, horses have been brought to us already and seeing as I can hardly move my limbs, Loki climbs onto the back of one of them with me, letting me sit behind him and wrap my arms around his waist. I am grateful for that and I try to tell him thank you but I don't think I make out with the words.

He takes us across the rainbow bridge, both of us with heavy hearts that ache form what just happened, looking behind us at the other three horses and realizing one of them won't be needed...

I gaze up at the night sky as we ride gently. The stars still shine despite the sorrow that keeps me from appreciating their beauty. I look around at my home, glad tremendously to be back... but not accepting the fact that we are missing someone.

This makes me shut my eyes tightly with grief and bury my face in Loki's back.

https://youtu.be/gbTHj2ukexM

After what seems like too long, we reach the palace and he hops of the steed, the guards taking the horse to the stables after he catches me by the waist to help me down, able to hold me as if I was only a pound. We walk into the palace without a word and when we finally arrive upstairs I stop him before he takes me to my room. "I should..." I start and he looks at me. "I should see to Fandral. I want to know he's okay," I say with a trembling voice. I try not to let myself cry anymore, my face showing the sadness I still feel that his horrid thing has happened.

He looks down at my hands that are shaking and he takes them in his, feeling how cold they are. He looks at me with sadness, his eyes still hinting at tears from this terrible night.

"I need to know if—" I say worriedly.

"Shh. Go. Get warm. Change. Eat something. And I will send Sif to let you know if he is going to be alright."

I stare at him... a bit surprised by his kindness but at the same time not. He doesn't act as such with many people. But like everyone else he has a soft spot for me. And I think recent events have made him a bit more sensitive... at least tonight.

I feel bad for how I've clung to him annoyingly like a helpless person that he was probably irritated with. I've stuck to him like a small child with their safety blanket. And I don't want him to be annoyed any further so I agree to his command and nod. I look up at him, placing my hand on his cheek as my eyes are locked with his. "Thank you," I mutter.

He doesn't really seem to move, his eyes looking gentle.

I drop my hand and pull my other from his before leaving him to go to my room, letting the maids know to draw me a bath that I am too eager to take in order to be warm again. They light a fire while I pull out my hair from the braids and let it fall in loose waves against my damp back as I bathe and they even set out some hot soup for me. Once I am clean and back in a freshly washed and immensely warm robe, I sit and gladly eat my soup. I feel almost back to normal... at least physically. Though I am still tired, my limbs throbbing and my neck still stinging. The maids tend to it with icy water and a cream. Surprisingly the hot water in the bath seemed to take most of the pain from it, counteracting with the icy wound.

And once I have stopped trembling and have something in my stomach I realize how tired I am. But I refuse to sleep until Sif returns with news of Fandral.

I curl in bed with a book, trying to distract myself from the horrors of tonight that still shocks me when thinking about it. I get through about ten pages before the door opens and my sister enters. She has bathed and changed as well. 

Immediately I set my book beside me and sit upright.

She approaches with a breath and sits at my bedside.

"How's Fandral?" I demand with worry.

She breathes but not in a bad news kind of way, just an exhausted way. Her hair is pulled from her usual tight ponytail and falls on her shoulder. She looks over at my troubled look. "He's going to be perfectly alright," she reassures.

Immediately the heavy weight of worry falls from my shoulders and I let out a breath of relief. "Thank the Creator," I sigh.

She smiles. "You know it takes more than some ice to keep him from fighting another day," she says as if I worry too much. I do but I don't see that as necessarily a bad thing...

"Yes of course," I breathe a little giggle.

She grins again and then thinks... "Loki told us what happened," she says after her smile disappears.

I match her expression as the pain returns of the fact that Thor is gone.

"I can't believe Odin did it. I know he must have been angry but..."

I try not to get too emotional but my face probably looks as if I am about to cry again. I look at my hands. "I saw it with my own eyes and I still can't believe it..." I mutter. "I'm... really going to miss him."

She takes my hand comfortingly. "We will see him again. I promise. Maybe we can speak to the Allfather. There has to be a way..." she says with thought.

"We can discuss it tomorrow..." I say.

She nods and then stands up but I keep her hand in mine and make a pitiful look. "Sif," I whine.

She just looks at me.

"Will you stay with me tonight?"

She smiles and rolls her eyes but nods. She walks to the other side of my bed and lies beside me, plenty of room for us both to sleep comfortably.

I curl up beside her like a child. "What's going to happen now? I've never been in a war..."

"I don't know, dearest... But there is a place for all of us to fight..."

I don't reply but just think, my arms wrapped around hers. I don't want a war, but if the time comes that I must help defend Asgard, I will stand with my companions to the death.